Beautiful Dreamer
by Nubiangeek63
Summary: Finch falls for a woman with a secret (so what else is new)


Title: Beautiful Dreamer  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Summary: Finch falls for a woman with a secret (so what else is new)  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, and therefore could not  
  
derive any funds  
  
from this story.  
  
Beautiful.  
  
She stepped off of the stagecoach, and into the sun. What  
  
awaited her, she didn't expect. Her first reaction, was that it was very dirty and  
  
dusty. The smell of horses and unwashed bodies hit her almost immediately. There were mostly men, as women and children were seldom part of this rough lifestyle. She did see a few women who were usually indistinguishable from the men. She sometimes had to look at the hair, and even that wouldn't give it away completely.  
  
What an oddity she appeared to be, with her frills and ruffles.  
  
The people stared. She couldn't blame them, really. She's just too clean, they  
  
thought.  
  
Almost immediately, heads turned. There was a certain novelty to new  
  
people in town, but what mad this woman extra special was her beauty.  
  
This was her first experience in the West. She was not a snob, but this  
  
place was certainly different from any other place she had been.  
  
Seeing her standing there, the stage master said, "Miss, there's a hotel just down the street a ways." she thanked him, and then she remembered.  
  
"Sir, can I get someone to deliver my valises to the hotel?"  
  
The stage master tipped his hat, and began taking the said  
  
valises down from the stage.  
  
The woman turned and spoke to another woman whom had climbed down  
  
from the coach.  
  
"Isn't this exciting, Frannie?" she asked the woman.  
  
Frannie didn't appear to be happy to be there at all. She  
  
grabbed her own bags and trudged along after the woman.  
  
"I was not at all happy about coming to this God forsaken place,  
  
so please don't expect me to be happy about being here now."  
  
Eileen was used to Frannie's moods. She simply laughed it off.  
  
"Don't worry, as soon as you have a nice hot bath you won't be complaining––much." She laughed.  
  
The two women made their way toward the hotel oblivious to the  
  
stares of the passers-by. One man in particularly stood stock still as he gazed at the beautiful woman. Larimer Finch had just come out of his office. He had been running some experiments all day, and his eyes were feeling the strain. Little did he know that they would be treated to such an exquisite treat.  
  
He could see, clearly, that this woman was out of place, but it  
  
wasn't just that had caught his attention. He would think on this later, and still be able to come up with what it was that made her so intriguing. She looked so lost and vulnerable, and yet, there was a sense of adventure in her eyes.  
  
He wanted to go over and speak to her, but he could see that the Mayor had beat him to it. His Honor was now introducing himself and taking her  
  
slim hand into his. Finch could not help but to feel a slight twinge of  
  
jealously from this gesture. He was annoyed by it. Why should he feel any sort of jealousy where this woman was concerned? Why, he had not even been properly introduced to her.  
  
He felt the twinge grow stronger as others came over to be introduced  
  
to the woman. He turned and headed back into his office just missing the  
  
moment that the woman gazed in his direction.  
  
Once they were settled into their rooms, Frannie could tell that Eileen had something on her mind.  
  
"All right, let's have it. What are you thinking?" Eileen had a  
  
faraway look on her face.  
  
"Did you see that man who was looking at me?" Frannie rolled  
  
her eyes. It wasn't that her mistress was a silly-headed woman. She wasn't like this all of the time. It just seemed to be more nerve wracking because she wasn't like this all of the time.  
  
"There were several men looking at you, Miss Eileen. I didn't  
  
notice anyone in particular."  
  
This seemed to annoy Eileen.  
  
"He wasn't part of that crowd." She seemed to drift off as her  
  
mind wandered back to Finch. She had to stay focused. There was a reason why she was here. She had a job to do. She took the letter from her reticule, and examined it once more. Anger burned in her lovely green eyes. Yes, she had a job to do.  
  
Finch found that he could get nothing done. His mind kept  
  
drifting back to the  
  
woman he saw in town. Who was she? He had to find out.  
  
He stood, grabbed his hat, and marched out of the office. He  
  
went straight to  
  
Kate's. Kate, who was right in the middle of preparing Old Mule  
  
Simmons for  
  
burial, looked up when Finch walked into her office.  
  
"Hey Finch, whatcha know good?" she saw the look of utter  
  
confusion on his  
  
face, and smiled.  
  
"What's going on?" she translated.  
  
He took a breath, and went for it.  
  
"I was hoping you could help me . . ." he started.  
  
Thinking that it concerned a case, Kate dried her hands on an  
  
old rag and came  
  
over to where he stood.  
  
"Did you hear about the woman that arrived in town today?" she  
  
had heard  
  
some commotion in the street that morning.  
  
"I'm trying to find out who she is." He said matter-of-factly.  
  
Kate stifled a  
  
giggle.  
  
"Why don't you just go up and introduce yourself?"  
  
Men!  
  
Finch became nervous.  
  
"I couldn't do that. It wouldn't be proper. After all, she's a  
  
real . . ." He broke  
  
off, his eyes traveling up and down the filthy smock that Kate wore.  
  
Kate knew  
  
exactly what he was thinking, and began to get angry.  
  
"What makes this woman any different from the women here?"  
  
Finch tried desperately to dig himself out of the hole that he  
  
found himself in.  
  
"What I mean to say is that, she is used to finer things . . ."This line of thinking  
  
was not persuading Kate.  
  
"Oh Bloody Hell! She's just different. I don't know why."  
  
Kate paused.  
  
"Would you like for me to find out who she is and introduce you  
  
to her?" He  
  
didn't say; his eyes conveyed everything.  
  
"Frannie, I've got to put my plan into effect." Frannie felt  
  
that this whole plan  
  
was a bad idea.  
  
"I have to find Leonard Milford. The Mayor is having what he  
  
calls a Soiree to  
  
introduce me to prominent people here in Silver City. I'm bound to  
  
be introduced  
  
to Milford."  
  
Frannie rolled her eyes again. She didn't know why this  
  
beautiful, now rich,  
  
young woman was bound and determined to ruin her life.  
  
"And what do you plan on doing once you find Mr. Milford?"  
  
Eileen was ashamed to admit that she didn't know how to proceed  
  
in her plan.  
  
She, again, looked at the agreement between her father and Mr.  
  
Milford. Tears  
  
sprang up in her eyes as she thought about her beloved father who  
  
committed  
  
suicide a few months earlier.  
  
Frannie placed a loving hand on her shoulder. They had  
  
practically been raised  
  
together. Frannie's mother had been the Lawson's family maid until  
  
her death two  
  
years earlier. Frannie had become Eileen's personal maid when Eileen  
  
was fifteen,  
  
but they were more friends than anything else.  
  
That moment, there was a knock on the door. Frannie went to  
  
answer it. Eileen  
  
could hear hushed voices in the doorway. It was probably someoneelse wanting  
  
to meet her. She couldn't for the life of her understand why she was  
  
such an oddity  
  
to these people. Oh well, she thought, as she patted her hair self  
  
consciously. She  
  
was surprised to see a young woman being escorted into the sitting  
  
room by  
  
Frannie.  
  
"Miss Eileen, this is Katie Owen. She's the Mortician here in  
  
town." Eileen's  
  
look of surprise escalated to something akin to shock. Why would the  
  
Mortician  
  
want to see her? She shook hands with Katie, however, and indicated a  
  
chair for  
  
her to sit down.  
  
"Frannie, would you see what can be done about getting us some  
  
tea?" Frannie  
  
nodded and curtsied, something that she only did when Eileen had  
  
guests.  
  
"Please, sit down. How can I help you?" Eileen was reminded of  
  
how much  
  
she sounded like her mother, or her horrible Aunt Elizabeth.  
  
"Several of us . . . um . . . were just curious . . . you  
  
know, about where  
  
you're from, and who you are." God, she couldn't believe that she was  
  
doing this  
  
for Finch.  
  
Sensing her apparent discomfort, Eileen tried to change the  
  
subject.  
  
"I don't know that I'll need the services of a Mortician any  
  
time soon." She  
  
joked. The smile faded from her face as she realized how close to  
  
home her  
  
statement was.  
  
"I just wanted to welcome you to Silver City, Miss . . ."  
  
,  
  
"Lawson. Eileen Lawson." She could hear Frannie cough loudlyin the  
  
background.  
  
"I'm from . . .the East. I'm passing through on my way to San  
  
Francisco."  
  
she lied. Kate took this information in carefully. She wanted to be  
  
able to relate  
  
every detail back to Finch. Lord knows she didn't want to have to  
  
come back and  
  
talk to this woman again.  
  
Noticing the lapse in conversation, Eileen continued.  
  
"I just love your town. We don't have anything like this back  
  
East."  
  
Why did she keep saying that? It was very obvious that this  
  
woman was from  
  
England. She had the same sort of accent that Finch had, although  
  
she was  
  
desperately trying to hide it.  
  
"Well, I'd better head back to the shop. Got a dead body on the  
  
table and all."  
  
Kate saw the look of disgust on the woman's face and was glad  
  
that her words  
  
had hit their mark.  
  
"It was very nice of you to come and call. I find it very  
  
difficult, at times, to  
  
make the acquaintance of females." She smiled sweetly, and Frannie  
  
sounded as if  
  
she had pneumonia.  
  
Kate shook her hand and left as quickly as possible. She was  
  
going to kill  
  
Finch.  
  
"I'm telling you, Finch, she's not what you think she is. She  
  
sounds like a high-  
  
priced whore." she realized that her words were harsh, but after the  
  
incident with  
  
that Miranda woman, she didn't want to see him make a fool out of  
  
himself.Finch remained silent; Kate couldn't tell if he were angry, or  
  
what.  
  
"She said that she's from the East, but she sounds like you."  
  
The soiree, as everyone was calling it, was taking place at the  
  
hotel that evening.  
  
Eileen had bought sturdier clothes for her trip West, but wasn't  
  
ready to put them  
  
on just yet. She had told Frannie to ready her yellow, silk dress  
  
for the festivities.  
  
Frannie did as she was told, but not without some reprimand.  
  
"Miss Eileen, I know you don't want me to say a word, but I  
  
can't just stand  
  
by and watch you do this."  
  
Eileen continued fussing with her hair as if she hadn't heard a  
  
word Frannie had  
  
said.  
  
"Have you decided what you're going to do yet?" she asked Eileen  
  
stopped her  
  
fussing and turned to speak to Frannie.  
  
"This Milford man will, most likely, be at this soiree. I'll  
  
meet him, and work  
  
my wiles." She didn't have a plan after that.  
  
"T'is a dangerous thing you're flirting with, Miss. These men  
  
are different.  
  
They're not gentlemen. You're playing with fire, and likely to get  
  
burnt."  
  
Eileen usually poo-pooed Frannie's old Irish wisdom, but she was  
  
a little  
  
worried, even if she wouldn't admit it to herself.  
  
The drawing room at the hotel was the perfect to hold the  
  
soiree. Everyone in  
  
Silver City seemed to be there. Dressed in their finery, such as it  
  
was, they now sat  
  
or stood around, none of them quite sure what one did at a soiree.  
  
She made her entrance down the staircase with Frannie on herheels. There was  
  
no way Frannie was going to let her do this alone.  
  
Eileen hated such displays, but it would serve her purposes.  
  
She surveyed the  
  
room, and her eyes fell on the man she had seen the day before. His  
  
penetrating  
  
eyes seemed to cut right through the crowd, to her. She felt herself  
  
blush slightly,  
  
which only added to her charm.  
  
Finch literally felt his heart stop as she descended the  
  
staircase. Her dark hair  
  
was wound and piled in some intricate style. Her skin was like  
  
porcelain, and her  
  
green eyes blazed with the reflections of hundreds of candles. Even  
  
though they  
  
had recently received gas lights, candles seemed more intimate and  
  
romantic.  
  
Beautiful was far too inadequate a word to describe her.  
  
As her feet touched the floor of the room, she was bombarded by  
  
people who  
  
came forward to be introduced.  
  
Marshal Stone stood at the bar near Finch, knocking back a  
  
whiskey.  
  
"So, what do you think of all of this, Finch?"  
  
Finch was surprised that he even heard Stone when he spoke.  
  
"She is beautiful." He said finally, trying to sound as  
  
uninterested as possible.  
  
"Yeah, I suppose. Why do you think everybody's getting so worked  
  
up about  
  
her?"  
  
Finch knew why he was getting worked up; he thought that the men  
  
in town  
  
were using the same reason.  
  
"Something new, that's all." He replied as if he didn't care.  
  
Truth be told, he  
  
was dying to rush over there and introduce himself. To the Devil  
  
with propriety!But, he didn't want to look like the others who were drooling  
  
over her.  
  
She was watching him, willing him to come to her and say hello.  
  
No, I have to  
  
stay focused, she thought. She looked around the room.  
  
"I'm looking for a Leonard Milford. Has anyone seen him here  
  
tonight?" she  
  
was saying to someone.  
  
"What do you want Milford for?" a voice said. Eileen looked up  
  
to see Finch  
  
standing there. She was flustered. She had just meant to drop the  
  
name and hope  
  
that someone would remember and steer Milford in her direction.  
  
But now, she was on the spot.  
  
"Nothing in particular. I was told that he was very . . .  
  
generous." She batted  
  
her eyelashes at Finch. She was acting again, he noticed. But why?  
  
They stared at one another. It was a challenge, he realized.  
  
He blinked first.  
  
"Miss Lawson, I hear you've been looking for me." It was  
  
Leonard Milford.  
  
Finch was forgotten, for now.  
  
Eileen extended her hand, and Milford took it and kissed her  
  
fingertips lightly.  
  
Finch couldn't help but be jealous. In fact, he was seething. He  
  
turned on his heel  
  
and walked away. Eileen noticed him leaving. Must stay focused, she  
  
thought,  
  
must stay focused.  
  
"May I ask how you know about me?" Milford asked casually.  
  
"Oh, around. Your name was mentioned as someone who could be  
  
very helpful  
  
if one ever went to Silver City." It sounded plausible. She  
  
wouldn't have to  
  
actually mention anyone that he might know. He accepted this  
  
explanation.  
  
They continued talking as Finch headed to the bar. He ordered abottle of  
  
whiskey and one glass. Stone, who was still there, noticed slightly.  
  
"What are you upset about?" he asked.  
  
Finch was slightly annoyed that his anger was showing. He tried  
  
to rein in his  
  
feelings.  
  
He looked up when he heard her laughter. It sounded like music.  
  
Eileen looked  
  
up and her eyes connected with his. She took a sip of her wine,  
  
peering over the  
  
glass at him. She laughed again. She was performing, for him.  
  
The entire scene was not lost on Frannie. She could see the  
  
exchanged glances  
  
between Miss Eileen and a very handsome man. She was sure that he  
  
must be the  
  
man that Eileen had mentioned the day before.  
  
She wished that her mistress would give up this whole scheme  
  
thing, and just  
  
settle down and get married. She had an offer. That nice Mr.  
  
Westmorland had  
  
wanted to marry her, but she had turned him down flat. Yes, he was a  
  
lot older, but  
  
he would have protected her, especially after what her thieving Aunt  
  
and Uncle had  
  
tried to do. She had been through so much in her young life. She  
  
needed to settle  
  
down with a good man.  
  
Come On Eileen  
  
( Dexys Midnight Runners )  
  
(Come on Eileen!)  
  
(Come on Eileen!)  
  
Poor old Johnny Ray  
  
Sounded sad upon the radio  
  
He moved a million hearts in monoOur mothers cried and sang along and who'd blame them?  
  
Now you're grown, so grown, now I must say more than ever  
  
Go toora loora toora loo rye aye  
  
And we can sing just like our fathers ....  
  
Come on Eileen! Well, I swear (what he means)  
  
At this moment, you mean everything  
  
With you in that dress, my thoughts I confess  
  
Verge on dirty ......  
  
Ah, come on Eileen!  
  
(Come on Eileen!)  
  
(Come on Eileen!)  
  
These people round here wear beaten down eyes  
  
Sunk in smoke dried faces  
  
They're so resigned to what their fate is  
  
But not us, no not us  
  
We are far too young and clever  
  
Go toora loora toora loo rye aye  
  
Eileen, I'll sing this tune forever  
  
Come on, Eileen! Well, I swear (what he means)  
  
Ah come on, let's take off everything  
  
That pretty red dress .... Eileen (tell him yes)  
  
Ah, come on! Come on Eileen!!!  
  
Come on Eileen! Well, I swear (what he means)  
  
At this moment, you mean everything  
  
Come on, Eileen, taloora aye  
  
Come on, Eileen, taloora aye  
  
Come on, Eileen, taloora aye  
  
Come on, Eileen, taloora aye  
  
Come on, Eileen, taloora aye  
  
Come on, Eileen, taloora aye  
  
Go toora loora toora loo rye aye  
  
Come on Eileen! Well, I swear (what he means)  
  
At this moment, you mean everything  
  
With you in that dress, my thoughts I confess  
  
Verge on dirty ......  
  
Ah, come on Eileen!  
  
Come on, Eileen! Well, I swear (what he means)  
  
Ah come on, let's take off everything  
  
That pretty red dress .... Eileen (tell him yes)  
  
Ah, come on! Come on Eileen!!!  
  
Come on Eileen! Well, I swear (what he means)  
  
At this moment, you mean everything  
  
Come on Eileen! Well, I swear (what he means)  
  
At this moment, you mean everything  
  
Finch remained silent a moment longer. Then, he said, "I want  
  
to see her for  
  
myself." Kate could see his jaw clench and unclench which was  
  
something that  
  
Kate had noticed when he became very serious.  
  
"Well, I hear that the Mayor is throwing a Shindig for her  
  
tomorrow. That'll be  
  
your chance to meet her."  
  
Finch remained silent as Kate left.  
  
He didn't know what to think. This latest information didn't  
  
jive with what he  
  
had seen earlier. He was convinced that it was an act for Kate, but  
  
why? This  
  
woman was becoming more and more a mystery to him.  
  
Artist: Steven Curtis ChapmanAlbum: All About Love  
  
Title: Holding a Mystery  
  
Lyrics:  
  
I know that look on your face  
  
I know the secrets you tell  
  
You're every mood I can trace  
  
I guess I could say I know you well  
  
But how can I say I know you well  
  
Cause when I look in your eyes  
  
I see a million miles across an endless sea  
  
I wanna sail the waves and make the great discovery  
  
And when I hold you in my arms  
  
The beating of your heart  
  
is calling out to me  
  
I'm holding a mystery  
  
How many songs will be sung?  
  
How many words will be said?  
  
How many stories of love  
  
Lie deep within you  
  
Waiting to be read  
  
And I want your story to be read  
  
Cause when I look in your eyes  
  
I see a million miles across an endless sea  
  
I wanna sail the waves and make the great discovery  
  
And when I hold you in my arms  
  
The beating of your heart  
  
is calling out to me  
  
I'm holding a mystery  
  
The beating of your heart  
  
Is calling out to me  
  
Only a God  
  
of endless wisdom, love and mercy  
  
Could have created such a wonder as you  
  
I hear the beating of your heart  
  
calling out to me  
  
I'm holding a mystery  
  
http:songbook.manueladam.com  
  
The soiree, as everyone was calling it, was taking place at the  
  
hotel that evening.  
  
Eileen had bought sturdier clothes for her trip West, but wasn't  
  
ready to put them  
  
on just yet. She had told Frannie to ready her yellow, silk dress  
  
for the festivities.  
  
Frannie did as she was told, but not without some reprimand.  
  
"Miss Eileen, I know you don't want me to say a word, but I  
  
can't just stand  
  
by and watch you do this."  
  
Eileen continued fussing with her hair as if she hadn't heard a  
  
word Frannie had  
  
said.  
  
"Have you decided what you're going to do yet?" she asked Eileen  
  
stopped her  
  
fussing and turned to speak to Frannie.  
  
"This Milford man will, most likely, be at this soiree. I'll  
  
meet him, and work  
  
my wiles." She didn't have a plan after that.  
  
"T'is a dangerous thing you're flirting with, Miss. These men  
  
are different.  
  
They're not gentlemen. You're playing with fire, and likely to get  
  
burnt."  
  
Eileen usually poo-pooed Frannie's old Irish wisdom, but she was  
  
a little  
  
worried, even if she wouldn't admit it to herself.  
  
The drawing room at the hotel was the perfect to hold the  
  
soiree. Everyone in  
  
Silver City seemed to be there. Dressed in their finery, such as it  
  
was, they now sat  
  
or stood around, none of them quite sure what one did at a soiree.  
  
She made her entrance down the staircase with Frannie on herheels. There was  
  
no way Frannie was going to let her do this alone.  
  
Eileen hated such displays, but it would serve her purposes.  
  
She surveyed the  
  
room, and her eyes fell on the man she had seen the day before. His  
  
penetrating  
  
eyes seemed to cut right through the crowd, to her. She felt herself  
  
blush slightly,  
  
which only added to her charm.  
  
Finch literally felt his heart stop as she descended the  
  
staircase. Her dark hair  
  
was wound and piled in some intricate style. Her skin was like  
  
porcelain, and her  
  
green eyes blazed with the reflections of hundreds of candles. Even  
  
though they  
  
had recently received gas lights, candles seemed more intimate and  
  
romantic.  
  
Beautiful was far too inadequate a word to describe her.  
  
As her feet touched the floor of the room, she was bombarded by  
  
people who  
  
came forward to be introduced.  
  
Marshal Stone stood at the bar near Finch, knocking back a  
  
whiskey.  
  
"So, what do you think of all of this, Finch?"  
  
Finch was surprised that he even heard Stone when he spoke.  
  
"She is beautiful." He said finally, trying to sound as  
  
uninterested as possible.  
  
"Yeah, I suppose. Why do you think everybody's getting so worked  
  
up about  
  
her?"  
  
Finch knew why he was getting worked up; he thought that the men  
  
in town  
  
were using the same reason.  
  
"Something new, that's all." He replied as if he didn't care.  
  
Truth be told, he  
  
was dying to rush over there and introduce himself. To the Devil  
  
with propriety!But, he didn't want to look like the others who were drooling  
  
over her.  
  
She was watching him, willing him to come to her and say hello.  
  
No, I have to  
  
stay focused, she thought. She looked around the room.  
  
"I'm looking for a Leonard Milford. Has anyone seen him here  
  
tonight?" she  
  
was saying to someone.  
  
"What do you want Milford for?" a voice said. Eileen looked up  
  
to see Finch  
  
standing there. She was flustered. She had just meant to drop the  
  
name and hope  
  
that someone would remember and steer Milford in her direction.  
  
But now, she was on the spot.  
  
"Nothing in particular. I was told that he was very . . .  
  
generous." She batted  
  
her eyelashes at Finch. She was acting again, he noticed. But why?  
  
They stared at one another. It was a challenge, he realized.  
  
He blinked first.  
  
"Miss Lawson, I hear you've been looking for me." It was  
  
Leonard Milford.  
  
Finch was forgotten, for now.  
  
Eileen extended her hand, and Milford took it and kissed her  
  
fingertips lightly.  
  
Finch couldn't help but be jealous. In fact, he was seething. He  
  
turned on his heel  
  
and walked away. Eileen noticed him leaving. Must stay focused, she  
  
thought,  
  
must stay focused.  
  
"May I ask how you know about me?" Milford asked casually.  
  
"Oh, around. Your name was mentioned as someone who could be  
  
very helpful  
  
if one ever went to Silver City." It sounded plausible. She  
  
wouldn't have to  
  
actually mention anyone that he might know. He accepted this  
  
explanation.  
  
They continued talking as Finch headed to the bar. He ordered abottle of  
  
whiskey and one glass. Stone, who was still there, noticed slightly.  
  
"What are you upset about?" he asked.  
  
Finch was slightly annoyed that his anger was showing. He tried  
  
to rein in his  
  
feelings.  
  
He looked up when he heard her laughter. It sounded like music.  
  
Eileen looked  
  
up and her eyes connected with his. She took a sip of her wine,  
  
peering over the  
  
glass at him. She laughed again. She was performing, for him.  
  
The entire scene was not lost on Frannie. She could see the  
  
exchanged glances  
  
between Miss Eileen and a very handsome man. She was sure that he  
  
must be the  
  
man that Eileen had mentioned the day before.  
  
She wished that her mistress would give up this whole scheme  
  
thing, and just  
  
settle down and get married. She had an offer. That nice Mr.  
  
Westmorland had  
  
wanted to marry her, but she had turned him down flat. Yes, he was a  
  
lot older, but  
  
he would have protected her, especially after what her thieving Aunt  
  
and Uncle had  
  
tried to do. She had been through so much in her young life. She  
  
needed to settle  
  
down with a good man.  
  
Come On Eileen  
  
( Dexys Midnight Runners )  
  
(Come on Eileen!)  
  
(Come on Eileen!)  
  
Poor old Johnny Ray  
  
Sounded sad upon the radio  
  
He moved a million hearts in monoOur mothers cried and sang along and who'd blame them?  
  
Now you're grown, so grown, now I must say more than ever  
  
Go toora loora toora loo rye aye  
  
And we can sing just like our fathers ....  
  
Come on Eileen! Well, I swear (what he means)  
  
At this moment, you mean everything  
  
With you in that dress, my thoughts I confess  
  
Verge on dirty ......  
  
Ah, come on Eileen!  
  
(Come on Eileen!)  
  
(Come on Eileen!)  
  
These people round here wear beaten down eyes  
  
Sunk in smoke dried faces  
  
They're so resigned to what their fate is  
  
But not us, no not us  
  
We are far too young and clever  
  
Go toora loora toora loo rye aye  
  
Eileen, I'll sing this tune forever  
  
Come on, Eileen! Well, I swear (what he means)  
  
Ah come on, let's take off everything  
  
That pretty red dress .... Eileen (tell him yes)  
  
Ah, come on! Come on Eileen!!!  
  
Come on Eileen! Well, I swear (what he means)  
  
At this moment, you mean everything  
  
Come on, Eileen, taloora aye  
  
Come on, Eileen, taloora aye  
  
Come on, Eileen, taloora aye  
  
Come on, Eileen, taloora aye  
  
Come on, Eileen, taloora aye  
  
Come on, Eileen, taloora aye  
  
Go toora loora toora loo rye aye  
  
Come on Eileen! Well, I swear (what he means)  
  
At this moment, you mean everything  
  
With you in that dress, my thoughts I confess  
  
Verge on dirty ......  
  
Ah, come on Eileen!  
  
Come on, Eileen! Well, I swear (what he means)  
  
Ah come on, let's take off everything  
  
That pretty red dress .... Eileen (tell him yes)  
  
Ah, come on! Come on Eileen!!!  
  
Come on Eileen! Well, I swear (what he means)  
  
At this moment, you mean everything  
  
Come on Eileen! Well, I swear (what he means)  
  
At this moment, you mean everything  
  
She had him. She had him right where she wanted him, except she  
  
didn't know  
  
what to do now. She wanted to ruin him for what he had done to her  
  
father.  
  
Even now, she couldn't quite bring herself to do what needed to  
  
be done. She  
  
agonized over it.  
  
"Oh, Father, what am I to do?" She said aloud.  
  
Frannie heard her mistress, and approached. Eileen wiped away  
  
her tears and  
  
continued in business-like fashion.  
  
"Have you found out anything about our Mr. Milford?" She  
  
asked. Because  
  
Frannie was a servant, people felt that they could speak freely in  
  
front of her.  
  
"He is very rich. He owns a stake in a mine." Frannie had  
  
picked up the  
  
vernacular of the region. But, this wasn't anything new to Eileen."They use dynamite to for those mines, do they not?" Eileen  
  
asked as she  
  
thought aloud.  
  
"I suppose so, Miss. What on earth are you getting at?" A slow  
  
smile spread  
  
across Eileen's face.  
  
"What if there were to be an accident with the dynamite?" she  
  
asked  
  
rhetorically. Frannie could not hide the look of horror on her face.  
  
"Oh no Miss, surely you don't plan on killing him." Could it be  
  
that she didn't  
  
know Eileen as well as she thought she did?  
  
"Of course I'm not going to kill him. That would let him off  
  
too easily. I want  
  
him to suffer."  
  
The dark figure scampered through the night. There was no one in  
  
sight. Even  
  
the saloon had cleared out. The clouds covered the moon, so that the  
  
figure was  
  
not easily seen. The figure paused outside of a warehouse. Once  
  
inside, the terrain  
  
was surveyed carefully. The flame flickered into existence. Intense  
  
green eyes  
  
stared into it. Suddenly, she couldn't do it. No matter how much she  
  
hated  
  
Milford, she couldn't go through with it, it wasn't right.  
  
Beautiful Dreamer, wake unto me,  
  
Starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee;  
  
Sounds of the rude world heard in the day,  
  
Lulled by the moonlight have all passed away.  
  
Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me!  
  
2. Beautiful dreamer, queen of my song,  
  
List while I woo thee with soft melody;  
  
Gone are the cares of life's busy throng,  
  
Beautiful dreamer awake unto me!Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!  
  
3. Beautiful dreamer, out on the sea,  
  
Mermaids are chaunting the wild lorelei;  
  
Over the streamlet vapors are borne,  
  
Waiting to fade at the bright coming morn.  
  
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!  
  
4. Beautiful dreamer, beam of my heart,  
  
E'en as the morn on the streamlet and sea;  
  
Then will the clouds of sorrow depart,  
  
Beautiful dreamer awake unto me!  
  
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto  
  
Finch couldn't sleep. He kept picturing her body every time he  
  
closed his eyes.  
  
Damn! Before he could think any more about it, a loud explosion  
  
rocked the town.  
  
The match had burned too closely to her fingers, and she dropped  
  
it. The fire  
  
quickly caught before she could stop it.  
  
"Oh, my!" she tried to put it out, but it was no use. She  
  
hurried out of the  
  
building just before it exploded.  
  
She hurried through the darkened streets which were now  
  
beginning to fill with  
  
sleepy people. She didn't realize that someone saw her as she climbed  
  
the ladder to  
  
the roof and entered the window of the hotel.  
  
"We found the match that, most likely, was used to start the  
  
fire in Milford's  
  
warehouse, but it was too burned to get any prints from it." Finch  
  
was saying to  
  
Stone and Katie. They all figured that they would never find out who  
  
really started  
  
the fire.  
  
"Marshal . . ." it was Chipper.  
  
"I saw something last night you might be interested in."Chipper went on to tell them how he had seen someone run from  
  
Milford's  
  
warehouse after the explosion. This person had climbed into the  
  
hotel, and he was  
  
almost certain that it was that Lawson woman.  
  
They all just looked at him, at first.  
  
"How can you be so sure that it was she that you saw?" Finch  
  
asked.  
  
"I'm sure it was her, sir." They knew that he was sure.  
  
Finch went over to the hotel to question Miss Lawson himself.  
  
He knocked on  
  
the door, and Frannie opened it.  
  
She was very surprised to see the handsome man standing before  
  
her.  
  
"Ahh, it's about time that you came to see her." She said.  
  
"Excuse me?" he asked.  
  
"Never mind. Come on in."  
  
Finch entered Eileen's sitting room and there she was. He was  
  
stunned by her  
  
beauty.  
  
"I need to ask you some questions about the explosion last  
  
night."  
  
He saw a flicker of fear cross her face, and then the facade was  
  
back.  
  
"What would I know about the explosion?" Again she challenged  
  
him with her  
  
eyes.  
  
"Do you mind if I have a look around? It's in the interest of  
  
justice."  
  
She was caught. She had no doubt in this man's abilities, and if  
  
she refused to  
  
let him search, it would make her look guilty anyway." She nodded.  
  
Finch went straight to her closet. It didn't take him long to  
  
find the very dress  
  
that she was wearing the night before.  
  
"This dress has soot on it, and it smells of smoke. Can you  
  
explain that?" Shecould not.  
  
"Frannie, can you leave us alone, please?" Frannie was reluctant  
  
to leave, but  
  
she did.  
  
"I didn't mean to do it. It was an accident." She could tell  
  
that he was having  
  
trouble believing her.  
  
"You have to tell me everything. Don't leave anything out."  
  
He went over and sat down.  
  
"I'm really from England."  
  
Finch had a look on his face that said, tell me something I  
  
don't know.  
  
"My father died a few months ago. They said that he had  
  
committed suicide. I  
  
had to go and live with my Aunt and Uncle who treated me like dirt.  
  
Then, I found  
  
out that my father had been left some money by his friend Sir Henry  
  
Collingswood.  
  
Dad didn't know about it before he died. After I became an heiress,  
  
my Aunt and  
  
Uncle tried to get the money. I only wanted to do one thing with the  
  
money."  
  
Eileen saw that Finch was not following her story. She stood  
  
and began to  
  
pace.  
  
"My father had invested some money in the Milford mine. He  
  
thought that the  
  
mine. He thought that the mine had gone under, and he lost all of  
  
his money, all of  
  
it. Aunt Elizabeth had a party, and there was a man there who had  
  
known Milford.  
  
He said that the mine was very profitable. My father never received  
  
any money  
  
from it."  
  
He sensed her anger, and he couldn't blame her.  
  
"I went over to my father's solicitor, Roger Westmorland, andtold him of my  
  
plans of coming to America and finding Milford. I wanted to ruin  
  
him."  
  
Finch realized that she was actually confessing to the crime.  
  
She could see what  
  
he was thinking.  
  
"I went there to start the fire, but, in the end, I couldn't do  
  
it. But, I dropped the  
  
match. That's what started the fire." Even she didn't believe  
  
herself. She would  
  
hate to know what he was thinking now.  
  
He watched her face. Her story sounded far-fetched, but he could  
  
tell that she  
  
was telling the truth. It had been a horrible accident. Fortunately,  
  
no one had gotten  
  
hurt.  
  
"I am willing to pay for any damage." She said.  
  
"Well, I'm sure that would make Milford happy." He said  
  
sarcastically. He  
  
stood and went over to where she was standing. He was standing too  
  
closely now.  
  
She could feel his breath on her face. She had been looking down.  
  
She knew that  
  
all she had to do was raise her head slightly, and she would be  
  
looking into those  
  
intense eyes.  
  
He could feel it, too. He wanted her to look at him. He wanted  
  
to see those  
  
green eyes. He placed his fingers under her chin, and gently lifted  
  
it so that he  
  
could look into those lovely eyes.  
  
He could feel his heart slamming against his chest, and he  
  
almost thought that  
  
she could hear it, because she placed her hand on his chest.  
  
She had never known that she could have that affect on a man.  
  
The wonder of  
  
it was all over her face.He knew that he was going to do it before he actually did. He  
  
wanted to kiss her  
  
desperately.  
  
His fingers were still cradling her chin, so he lowered his head  
  
and kissed her  
  
lips lightly.  
  
Electricity came into his mind. He thought of the numerous times  
  
that he had  
  
received a small shock from his various experiments. This is what he  
  
felt like at this  
  
moment. He wanted more of this feeling, so he deepened the kiss.  
  
Suddenly, a bullet whizzed through and shattered the window that  
  
they were  
  
standing in front of. Out of instinct, Finch pushed her to the  
  
floor. Eileen saw the  
  
blood on his shoulder and screamed.  
  
Finch sat with his shirt off on Katie's table. He definitely  
  
refused to lie down on  
  
the table; that would just be too creepy.  
  
"It's just a scratch. That bullet barely grazed it." She said  
  
as she cleaned it up.  
  
Finch knew that it wasn't bad, but Eileen had insisted that he have  
  
it looked at.  
  
"So, you went there to question her, and someone took a shot at  
  
you?" Stone  
  
asked. Finch nodded. He grimaced. It might be just a scratch, but  
  
it hurt like the  
  
dickens.  
  
Eileen sat there, and was unusually quiet. Finch looked at her  
  
before he  
  
continued. He told them all of what Eileen had told him.  
  
Frannie was fretting over Eileen, as usual.  
  
"Why would anyone try to shoot her?" Katie whispered to Finch.  
  
Frannie heard her and asked Eileen, "Did you tell them that it  
  
wasn't the firsttime someone tried to kill you?" Eileen shot her a look, and Finch  
  
did the same.  
  
"Someone tried to run me down in a carriage just as we were  
  
leaving London."  
  
The question on everyone's mind was, why?  
  
Eileen and Finch were back in her rooms. She was packing.  
  
"I have a plan to draw out the would-be killer." Finch explained  
  
that they would  
  
go out to a one of the miner's shacks on Milford's property in an  
  
effort to keep her  
  
safe. They would make a big show about leaving. There was no  
  
telling who this  
  
person was. Hopefully, this person would try again.  
  
She was silent as she packed. He wondered what she was thinking.  
  
He  
  
broached another subject.  
  
"I talked to Milford." Her eyes flew to him. The thought of him  
  
consorting with  
  
the enemy, angered her.  
  
"He was surprised to learn that your father was Roger  
  
Wellington, your name  
  
being Eileen Lawson Wellington. He said that he had been sending  
  
residuals to  
  
you father's solicitor for years."  
  
He didn't know how she was going to take this news. All of a  
  
sudden she had  
  
no place for her anger.  
  
"I don't understand." She said finally.  
  
"I think I do." Finch said softly.  
  
She turned from him and began to pace the room. Finch could tell  
  
that she  
  
didn't want to believe that her father's solicitor, Roger  
  
Westmorland, had been  
  
stealing the money.  
  
"Could it have been Westmorland who tried to kill you in London?"  
  
She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. Yes, it waspossible, he read in her  
  
eyes. She changed the subject.  
  
"We were supposed to be married, you know." her voice was  
  
faraway. He  
  
wanted to hold her, but thought that it was not the time. He was  
  
wrong. She  
  
suddenly crouched down and began to cry.  
  
"Everyone is gone. I have no one."  
  
He went to her immediately and took her into his arms.  
  
"I'm here, and I'm not going to leave you. I promise."  
  
She wanted to believe him, but she didn't know who to trust  
  
anymore.  
  
Everyone she had ever loved and thought loved her had betrayed her.  
  
Artist: Steven Curtis Chapman  
  
Album: All About Love  
  
Title: I Will Be Here  
  
Lyrics: Tomorrow morning if you wake up  
  
and the sun does not appear  
  
I will be here  
  
If in the dark, we lose sight of love  
  
Hold my hand, and have no fear  
  
'Cause I will be here  
  
I will be here  
  
When you feel like being quiet  
  
When you need to speak your mind  
  
I will listen And I will be here  
  
When the laughter turns to cryin'  
  
Through the winning, losing and trying  
  
We'll be together I will be here  
  
Tomorrow morning, if you wake up  
  
And the future is unclear  
  
I will be here  
  
Just as sure as seasons were made for change  
  
Our lifetimes were made for these years  
  
So I will be hereI will be here  
  
And you can cry on my shoulder  
  
When the mirror tells us we're older  
  
I will hold you And I will be here  
  
To watch you grow in beauty  
  
And tell you all the things you are to me  
  
I will be here  
  
I will be true to the promise  
  
I have made To you  
  
and to the One who gave you to me  
  
Tomorrow morning, if you wake up  
  
And the sun does not appear  
  
I will be here  
  
Oh, I will be here  
  
http:songbook.manueladam.com  
  
"They're going where?" Katie asked.  
  
"They're going out to Milford's shack. Finch's trying to draw  
  
out the killer."  
  
Stone told her. Katie had never heard anything so foolish before in  
  
her life.  
  
"I think he just wants to be alone with her."  
  
"What?" Tone asked.  
  
"Nothing." Katie stifled a giggle.  
  
Finch had no idea how Eileen would be in Milford's shack. After  
  
all, they would  
  
be roughing it, and she was an heiress. HE smiled as he pictured it.  
  
Eileen carried her pack in. He noticed that she was walking  
  
funny. They had  
  
ridden out to the shack, so he concluded that she was saddle sore.  
  
She brought the pack in and dropped it on the floor. Then, she  
  
began bending  
  
over and stretching the kinks out. Finch tried not to look too  
  
closely at the tight  
  
riding skirt and the outline of her bottom.He turned his back and began building a fire.  
  
"So, how long do you think we'll have to stay out here?" she  
  
asked nervously.  
  
"I don't know. Hopefully the word will spread fairly quickly."  
  
He said as the  
  
fire blazed.  
  
"Why don't you set up the bedrolls, and I'll fix dinner."  
  
Eileen was happy for that arrangement because she knew nothing  
  
about  
  
cooking, let alone cook over an open fire.  
  
She rolled out their bedrolls and then came over to sit in front  
  
of the fire. He  
  
came and sat next to her. The hissing and popping of the fire was  
  
relaxing and  
  
soothing.  
  
He tried to ascertain his feelings for her. He found that he was  
  
falling in love  
  
with her, but she was so vulnerable right now. He didn't want to  
  
take advantage of  
  
her. But, he wanted her desperately.  
  
"What are you thinking?" He was pulled from his reverie, and  
  
could see that she  
  
had been looking at him the entire time. She put her hand on his  
  
cheek.  
  
Finch found himself shaking. She was too close. He had to get  
  
some air.  
  
"I'm going to get some more firewood." Finch rose abruptly, and  
  
left. Eileen  
  
thought that she had done something wrong.  
  
He stepped off of the stagecoach, and looked around the sleepy,  
  
backwater  
  
town. His sources had told him that the girl was here. They had even  
  
tried to  
  
eliminate her, but with no success. She was being protected by some  
  
ex-Pinkerton  
  
man. Leave it the whore to find a man so quickly, he thought withdisgust.  
  
He had discovered where they were, and now he had to meet with  
  
the man he  
  
had hired to kill her.  
  
They sat at the bar, and Westmorland was struck by how unclean  
  
this man was.  
  
He took out his handkerchief which was drenched in scent and shoved  
  
it under his  
  
nose.  
  
"They're holed up at a mining shack about ten miles outside of  
  
town."  
  
Westmorland took this information in.  
  
"I'll take care of this myself. Here is what I owe you."  
  
Westmorland threw the sack of coins in front of the man, and  
  
left.  
  
The man looked around the bar before he also left. As he walked  
  
down the  
  
street, he saw the Widow Hadley, and the bag of coins to her.  
  
"Thank you . . . Marshal?"  
  
Stone held up a finger to his lips and whispered, "Shhhh."  
  
Westmorland had no idea that the real man that he had hired was  
  
in the jail. He  
  
and Westmorland had never met because he was hired through a friend.  
  
When Stone arrived back at the office, Chipper asked, "Marshal,  
  
why didn't  
  
you just arrest that man Westmorland?" Stone began removing the  
  
soiled and  
  
smelly clothes.  
  
"We didn't have enough real proof that Westmorland was connected  
  
at all. We  
  
need to catch him in the act. As far as our friend there is  
  
concerned, we have a  
  
witness that places him firing a rifle from across the street into  
  
Miss Lawson's hotel  
  
room. Right now, we need to get up to that shack to help out Finch."  
  
They gathered their gun belts and headed out the door.  
  
Finch had come back inside with an armload of firewood. They  
  
would need it  
  
tonight.  
  
He found that Eileen hadn't moved from her seat by the fire.  
  
"This should last us the night." He said. Their attention was  
  
drawn to the fact  
  
that they would be spending the night alone in the shack. Eileen had  
  
placed their  
  
bedrolls very far apart on the floor. He began to dish out the food,  
  
and in silence,  
  
they ate.  
  
When they were finished, Finch took their plates and began  
  
scraping them out  
  
with the sand that he found near the fire. Eileen began to make  
  
herself comfortable  
  
on her bedroll, and was soon fast asleep. He watched her sleep for a  
  
while, and  
  
then fell asleep himself.  
  
The next morning, Finch made up the fire and put on a pot of  
  
coffee. HE was  
  
caught up in the sheer mundaneness of the task, and had almost  
  
forgotten that  
  
Eileen was there.  
  
"Do you hate me?" He stopped and wondered why she would ask  
  
such a  
  
question. Then, he remembered how abruptly he had left the day  
  
before to get the  
  
firewood.  
  
"I'm sorry, about yesterday. It wasn't you. It was I." She  
  
looked at him, and  
  
he knew that wasn't an adequate explanation.  
  
"Things were moving too fast. I didn't know if I would be able  
  
to control  
  
myself." He still wasn't sure.  
  
"Eileen, what do you plan on doing once this is over?"  
  
She hadn't thought about what she would do. There really wasn'tanything for  
  
her back in England. There wasn't anything for her anywhere . . .  
  
except here.  
  
"I don't know. I just want to start a new life."  
  
A new life that didn't include him? He wondered.  
  
"That's very noble, Miss Lawson, or should I call you Miss  
  
Wellington."  
  
They whipped around to find Westmorland standing there with a  
  
gun pointed at  
  
them. Finch instinctively stood in front of Eileen.  
  
"This does not concern you, Mr. Ex-Pinkerton. Kindly step  
  
aside." Finch  
  
didn't move.  
  
"Well, no matter. I will just kill you as well."  
  
"I don't think so. Not today." Westmorland thought that Finch  
  
was being  
  
overly cocky for a man who had a gun pointed at him. Finch jerked his  
  
head to  
  
indicate a direction behind Westmorland. Westmorland could feel the  
  
gun pressing  
  
in his back.  
  
"I wouldn't make a move if I were you." Stone's voice was steady  
  
and clear.  
  
Frannie was packing her mistress' things. They were leaving.  
  
Eileen had  
  
decided to move on to San Francisco as she had told everyone that she  
  
would.  
  
Finch didn't want her to go, but how could he ask her to stay?  
  
Katie knew what he was feeling and came to his office to see if  
  
she could cheer  
  
him up.  
  
He was looking out the window.  
  
"What are you doing?" she asked, even though it was obvious.  
  
"So, you're just going to let her go?" No, he wanted to shout.  
  
He didn't want to  
  
just let her go. He loved her.Katie watched the realization of that love play across his face.  
  
"Ask her to stay, Finch."  
  
"I can't ask her to stay. There's nothing for her here."  
  
"You're here."  
  
"Yes, but will that be enough?"  
  
She took one more look on the town that she had come to love.  
  
She needed to  
  
be honest; it was Finch that she had come to love.  
  
"Please don't go."  
  
The tears began to flow before she could stop them.  
  
She turned to see Finch standing there. He also had tears in his  
  
eyes.  
  
"I want you to stay." He clarified.  
  
"What is there here for me?" she asked softly.  
  
"I'm here." He answered.  
  
When I wake up yeah I know I'm gonna be  
  
I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next to you  
  
When I go out yeah I know I'm gonna be  
  
I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you  
  
When I'm lonely well I know I'm gonna be  
  
I'm gonna be the man whose lonely without you  
  
When I'm dreaming well I know I'm gonna dream  
  
I'm gonna dream about the time when I'm with you  
  
But I would walk 500 miles  
  
And I would walk 500 more  
  
Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles  
  
To fall down at your door  
  
When I'm working yes I know I'm gonna be  
  
I'm gonna be the man who's working hard for you  
  
And when the money comes in for the work I'll do  
  
I'll pass almost every penny on to youWhen I come home yeah I know I'm gonna be  
  
I'm gonna be the man who comes back home to you  
  
And if I grow old well I know I'm gonna be  
  
I'm gonna be the man who's growing old with you  
  
But I would walk 500 miles  
  
And I would walk 500 more  
  
Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles  
  
To fall down at your door  
  
When I'm dreaming well I know I'm gonna dream  
  
Dream about the time when I'm with you  
  
And when I wake up yeah I know I'm gonna be  
  
I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next to you  
  
And when I go out well I know I'm gonna be  
  
I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you  
  
When I come home yes I know I'm gonna be  
  
I'm gonna be the man who comes back home to you  
  
I'm gonna be the man who comes back home to you  
  
But I would walk 500 miles  
  
And I would walk 500 more  
  
Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles  
  
To fall down at your door 


End file.
